Aerostructure.



T. A. SNYDER.

ABROSTRUGTURE. i APPLIUATION FILED 11.111.211, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. A. SNYDER.

ABROSTRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED 15113.29, 1910.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

T. A. SNYDBR.

l ABROSTRUOTUBB. APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 29, 1910. 1,007,810. Patented Nom, 1911.

4 y 4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

T. A. SNYDER.

AEROSTRUCTURE.

APBLIOATION. HLED 111.11.29, 1910.

Patented Nov. '7, 1911.

f1 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

lcitizen of the United l of this class,

spirit of the invention.v l v g drawings, in which is illustrated an' aerostructure-forrned-i ac- THOMAS A. 'SNYDER 0Fl ST. I-JOUIS, MISSOURI.

AEROSTR'UCTURE.

. "1b Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application led MRIVarch- 29,1910. Serial No.1552,141.

To all whom it may concern: l f

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. SNYDER,'a States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have `invented certain new and -useful Improvements in Aerostructures, of which the following is a specification. v f

This invention relates to improvements in aerostructures, and has for. .one of its 0bjects to provide a struct-ure of this class, which.combines the advantages of the aeroplane and the helicopter, and the principle of the parachute.

Another object of this inventionis to provide an aerostructure, having a plurality of superimposed lifting planes, the superimposed planes to sustain the machine, and

the subimposed planes vators.

A further object is to provide a machine to serve as the eleoverlappingplane sections, which are adapted to bey tilted to assist the upwardI glide of the machine, and tightly overlapped to form a solid or parachute surface. This is to prevent the tpo rapid descent of the machine,

and supports the larger part of the weight of' the aerostructure. f

A still further object is tovprovi'de an aerostructure having a cushioning means thereon to take up the shock of landing.

A still further/object is to providea machine. having a double series of helicopters,

which are adapted to be driven-backward or forward to .steerthe machine, and each series of which is controllable independently of the other. j f i Another object is to providea balancing the lower center of which ma be vraised and el carto inciiase or diminof thel weight below the car the aerostructure, lowered from th ish the distance of the machine.'

With these 'andvother objectsin view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully hereinaterdescrlbed and particularly pointed out in the claims, but it will be understood that changes in the specie structure ma be made wlthin the sco e of the claims, without ldeparting from t e In 'the accompanviii cordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure lis a side elevation of having a set vof jalouised or the aerostructure, Fig. 2 is an end elevation of rthe aerostructure, Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-31of Fig. 2, Fig. 1. is atop plan view of the aerostructure, lshowing the upper planes, Fig. '5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, Fig. 6is a section ,on the line 6-6 of Fig 2, Fig. 7 is a section on the line Ze-.71 of Fig. 4, Fig. 8 is a detached view in perspective of one of the helicopters and its hanger, Fig.',9 is a vertical sectional view of the cushioning means, tail view of the balancing device. p

` Referring now. more particularly vto the drawings, in which is illustrated my invention, it will be seen that the 'aerostructure comprises a frame-work, which is composed of any suitable, but light and durablematerial." The frame-work has the' corner standards 1, connected near their upper and lower, ends vby the stringers 2 Iand 3, disposed at the side thereof, and the end stringvers 4l and 5. Midway between the stringers aforesaid, are the stringers 6 and 7, and parallel to and, intermediate of the standards 1 are the additional standards 8. Suitably secured to and spaced away from the flower stringers 3 are the helicopter supportlng strips or stringers 9, secured at their front and rear ends to the vstringers 1 0.4

Secured to the frontand rear stringersv 6' are the supporting strips 11, to which is secured and suspended therebelow, the motor carrying can 12. Immediately above .the strips 11, and secured ,to the front and rear stringers 6 is a longitudinally disposed strlp 14, which is parallel to and directly beneath another simllar strip 15, and spaced apart from said strip 14 by the supports`16. At equal distances along the side stringers 9,

and. at corresponding points on the outer of the strips 11, are located the shaft carrying supports 17. Rotatably mounted in the suports 17, and extendlng laterally of` the frame .of the aerostructure, are the hellcopter .driving shafts l18. Mounted to swingon the shafts 18, are

the helicopter carrying lframes 19, on one sideof `which isl positioned the boxings 20 for the stub shafts 21 of the hellcopters, 22,

whichxare arranged in two longitudinal se-A ries. The frames 19, are. provided with the' hangers 23' at opposite ends thereof, and said hangers are per orated as at 24, for'the acconnnodation of the shafts 18.

Keyed to each oftheshafts 18, about midway betweenthe side members of the frames and Fig. 10 is al de- 219, ,are the beveled pinions 25, adapted to' mesh with the beveled pinions 26, on the stub shafts 21 of the helicopters. On the outer end of the shaft 21, is ahub 22', car'- rying the propeller blades 27 of the helicopters, -and `also keyedto the shafts 18 are the sprockets 28, geared -to the engine 29, located in the car 12, by means of the chains 30. Either 4one or all of the shafts 18 is divided, and has mounted at the junction thereof, clutches 32,.by means of which the set of helicopters on one side of the machine may be "thrown out of gear, when it is intended to make a turn. Each of the frames- 19-has a crank arm 33, extending forwardly therefrom, and pivotally connected to the free member 34 'thereof is a connecting rod 35, which runsfore and aft of the machine.

Each set of 'helicopter frames is connected in.

the same way, and lat a point 36, on each of the connecting rods is pivotally connected anA operating hand lever 37, by means of which the aviator may swing the-frames 19, up or down, between.- the horizontal and the depending vertical. Thus the helicopters are adapted to be swung so as to exert a lifting lforce to the machine, or when the machine'- link 39whieh is pivotally connected to a longitudinally arranged'connecting rod 40. These planes are in two sets, one oneach side ofthe top of the frame of the machine, and each/ connecting rod is suitably connected to a controlling lever 41, by a link 42,

which lever ismounted o n the frame-work above the car 12. These planes 38 overlap vapproximately half` of each other, and when i i clos d forma parachute surface. `When risi ing .from the ground, these planes are tilted u at .an angle to provide a' series of l1ft1ng plane surfaces. -Also journaled in'a like lmanner tothe stringers 6, and on either side of thecenter of the machine frame-work, are

' the lifting planes 43, which have'the depending arms 44, keyed to their shafts 45 at their I which'is connected to a controlling lever 47,`

inner ends. These arms are pivotally secured to a""fore and aft connecting rod 46,

by the link 48. Thefore and aftplanes on the one side of the machine are controllable are controllable from the lever 49. This from the lever 47, andthose on the other side ance of the machine..

To 'takerupthe shock of alighting, I have provided a plurality` of upright cylinders 50,

in-which 'areJ positioned the piston's151, the

' rodsxof which extend downward belowl the frame-.Work of the gmachine. The rods 52 of thepistons have securedto their lower stated as follows:

ends, the frame of a second car 53. This caris adapted to carry passengers, or freight, and is provided with the wheels 54, by means of which the machine is moved along the ground. The wheels are mounted on the axle4 55, secured to the car in any suitable manner. .When the aerostructure rises from the ground, the weight of the car 53 Will cause the pistons to slide out and suspend the car the length of said piston rods, below the car 12. When the car alights, the wheels of the car 53 will'engage the ground, and telescope the pistons within the cylinders 50, thus bringing the car 53 up to the car 12. Ihe air in the cylinders is allowed to escape, gradually, so as to take up the shock of the contact. As seen in the drawings, I have provided four of these cylinders, or cushioning means, disposed at the four corners of the car 12. It will of course, be understood that I can use more or less than this number, if Iso desire,the present number being shown\ for simplicity.

Suitably mounted in the floor of the car v53, and in the exact center thereof, is a windlass 54', around which is wound a cable 55', of any sultable construction, or material.

'This cable islet down through an opening 56 in the bottom of the car 53, and has a weight secured 'at its lower end as at 56.

It is Well knownI that in the ordinary parachute, that theA supporting element is a simple flexible silk. or other suitable plane, below which is suspended the seat on which the aviator sits. Further, the farther below the plane that the weight of the aviator is placed thebetter is the bafance of the craft. Thls prmclple is aipplied in the construction of the machine o the present application. The planes 38, when .closely overlapped, form the supporting plane of the parachute,

and the weight 56 corresponds to the aviator of the parachute The weight is raised or' lowered from the car by means of the windlass, and when in flight, it becomes necessary to lower the'weight, 56 for instance, when the aerostructure is tossed by counter currents .of air, the structure will be more evenly balanced and less,li,kelyto tip in any d1rect1on, or turn over.

The entire framework of the aerostructure is. suitably braced and guyed. f

The operation of the aerostructure may be raise the'machine from the round, the helicopters are tilted downwa'r and the lanes 38 and the lifting planes '43, also tilte and jthe motor started.- The helico ters will rapidly revolve, and by means o the slant -of the planes, the aerostructure will rise from the ground, and continue to rise, until the planes are brought to. the horizontal, and the helicopters turned with their frames -to the level. In this position the helicopters flf'ao are then converted into driving Propellers,

When it is desired to` l and drive the aerostructure forward. As the machine leaves the ground the car 53 will fall with the pistons until it is clear ofproper balancel to the structure, and the.

more unsteady the machine seems to be, the lowerthe weight 56 is dropped. The weight being suspended from the exact center o f the car, will form, with the entire aerostructure, a parachute.

The steering is eected in the following manner: When it is desired to turn in one direction, the helicopters on the near side of the machine are thrown out of gear by the clutches of their shafts, and those on .the

. out side of the machine are leftin operation.

Thus the aerostructure will swing around on the silent propellers lor helicopters, and change the course `of the machine.

Should'anything happen to the motor or to any of the mechanism on the machine which wouldfcause a Aprecipitatedrp, the planes 38 are tightly closed to present 4a parachute surface, and the weight 56 let out to its full length. This will exert a greater pull on .the center of the-structure, and consequently change the balance, bringing the machine to a center.

From the foregoing, it will readily be -seen that I have provided an aerostructure, on a very simple principle, and which combines the helicopter, and the supporting plane features. By means of the helicopters, I am enabled to ise from the ground without using a launching apparatus, and make use of them for propelling the machine. Also efficient means are-provided for steering and balancing the machine. What is claimed is: l.' In an aeros'tructure, the combination with a frame having parallel -series of overlapping planes, in the" upper portion thereof, elevating planes below Athe overlapping planes, shafts mounted on the frame of the aerostructure,'frames mounted to swing on saidshafts, and helicopters on said frames and driven by. saidv shafts.

2. In an aerostructure, the combination with a frame having parallel series of overlapping planes'forming a parachute surface,

independently controlled lifting planes be low' the overlapping planes,'shafts mounted in the frame of the aerostructure, pinions on the shafts, said shafts arranged inindependent series, supporting frames mounted to swing on said shafts, stub shafts jourS `naled in the frames, and propellers on the stub shafts adapted to be driven by the firstnamed shafts.

3. An aerostructure comprisinga frame,

parallel'series of overlapping planes rotatably mounted in the upper portion of the frame, lifting planes inferior in relative position with the overlapping planes and arranged in parallel series' and independently controllable, a plurality of series of helicopters mounted in the frame and adapted to swing on shafts mounted in the frame, and cushioning means positioned in the center of the frame of the aerostructure, said cushioning meansv being provided with means for engaging the ground.

4. An aerostructure comprising a-frame, overlapping planes,` 'links on the planes, a rod connecting the. links, a lever for simultaneously controlling all of the saidiover- Vlapping planes, a plurality of series of inferiorly arranged lifting planes, connections between the planes,levers vpivoted -to said connections whereby the planes of one serles are controllable independently ofthe others, f

and independently controllable sries of swinging helicopter carrying frames mounted inthe. lower portion of the aerostructure.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature,

H. E. CrIANnLEE, M. L. LOWE. 

